Chapter 111: Curiosity.
ELLA.
"I’m so sorry, Micheal," I said calmly, feeling slightly embarrassed by everything that had just happened. "Please do not take whatever she said to heart."
"I actually don’t mind, Ella," Micheal replied calmly, a gentle smile resting on his face. "Actually, I am pleased I can help," he added.
I stared at him for a moment, trying to understand him, but as usual, I couldn’t.
I actually didn’t understand Micheal sometimes.
No matter how hard I tried, there were moments when his reactions completely confused me. Most people would have been offended by Bella’s words or at least felt uncomfortable, but Micheal seemed completely unaffected. If anything, he looked genuinely happy to be of assistance.
His calmness made it difficult for me to know what was truly going on in his mind.
But despite my confusion, there was something else that continued to bother me.
A question that had been lingering at the back of my mind refused to go away.
Although I was grateful that Micheal had saved me and helped me when I needed it most, I couldn’t stop myself from harbouring certain questions.
The more I thought about them, the more unsettled I became.
My belly was not that big yet.
In fact, it was barely showing.
Anyone who looked at me would simply assume I had gained a little weight or eaten too much. There was nothing obvious about my condition.
If Bella had not seen me throw up earlier, she never would have known that I was pregnant.
That much was certain.
Which was exactly why something felt strange.
Why was Micheal not surprised when my pregnancy was mentioned?
Why had he reacted as though it was information he already knew?
The thought had been bothering me ever since.
Maybe I was overthinking things.
Maybe I was imagining problems where there were none.
But I couldn’t shake the feeling.
I didn’t know if it was just me, but I felt like Micheal had somehow been aware of my pregnancy long before anyone else had found out.
The possibility sent a wave of uneasiness through me.
I stared at Micheal with a puzzled expression, silently studying his face for answers.
Yet he continued smiling at me as though everything was perfectly normal. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of nervousness in his expression.
"Ella, as long as you are fine, I am," he added softly.
His words were simple, yet they carried a sincerity that made it difficult for me to question him directly.
I simply nodded my head in response.
For a brief moment, silence settled between us.
Then suddenly, I remembered something.
Before Bella had interrupted us earlier, Micheal had been about to say something important.
I had completely forgotten about it.
"Micheal, you were actually about to say something earlier before Bella interfered," I said, my curiosity getting the better of me.
The moment the words left my mouth, his reaction changed.
Micheal immediately swallowed hard, his smile faded slightly as he lifted a hand and ran it through his hair.
I watched him carefully.
For a moment, I couldn’t tell what he was feeling.
Was he nervous?
Was he shy?
Or was he frustrated about having to continue the conversation?
His expression gave nothing away, leaving me even more curious than before.
"I...I...Ella, the thing is..." Micheal stuttered once again.
His words came out broken and hesitant, as though each syllable was weighing heavily on him.
I watched him struggle, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly, yet nothing more came out.
For someone who was usually calm and composed, seeing him like this was unusual.
Whatever he wanted to say seemed incredibly difficult for him to express.
His nervousness was so obvious that it immediately made me curious.
What was it that he wanted to tell me?
Why did it seem so hard for him to say?
The way he kept stumbling over his words made it sound as though he was carrying something heavy inside him.
Something he had been wanting to say for a long time, something that refused to come out.
I found myself staring at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he remained silent, looking increasingly uncomfortable.
A few seconds passed and then another. The silence between us slowly became awkward.
I glanced around instinctively.
The triplets had been inside for quite some time now, and if I am still out with Micheal, they would come out themselves and I didn’t want that to happen.
Besides, Micheal looked like he was nowhere near ready to finish whatever he was trying to say.
Taking a small breath, I offered him a gentle smile.
"Actually, Micheal, it’s alright... if you aren’t able to say it now... you can tell me later." I paused briefly before continuing. "I need to get inside now," I added, and then I gave him a small nod. "See you later."
Without waiting for a response, I turned around and began to leave.
At least that was my intention.
I had barely taken a few steps when Micheal’s voice suddenly rang out behind me.
"Ella, wait!"
The urgency in his tone immediately stopped me in my tracks and I froze where I stood.
There was something different about his voice this time, something desperate and something determined.
Slowly, I turned my head slightly in his direction.
"Actually..." he began, his voice trembling. "I want to say it now because I don’t know if I would ever get the chance again."
The words instantly made my heart skip.
I slowly turned around completely to face him.
The moment I did, I noticed that Micheal had lowered his head, his gaze remained fixed on the ground.
He wasn’t looking at me and his hands were clenched tightly at his sides.
For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.
The air suddenly felt heavier than before.
Then, gathering what seemed to be every ounce of courage he possessed, he finally spoke.
"I love you, Ella."
The words came out firm and clear, as there was no hesitation this time, no stuttering, no uncertainty and just honesty raw and undeniable.
Yet even after saying them, his head remained lowered, as though he couldn’t bring himself to face me.
And I froze completely.
My entire body went still.
For a moment, it felt as though time itself had stopped moving.
The words echoed repeatedly inside my head.
Was I hearing things now?
Had I imagined it?
Surely I had misunderstood him.
My mind struggled to process what had just happened.
"Micheal..." I tried to speak, but the shock left my voice weak.
The word barely escaped my lips, before I could say anything else, a furious voice suddenly echoed from behind me.
"How dare you!"
The anger in the voice was impossible to miss and instantly, the moment shattered.
